+6.35(+0.41%)

+0.27(+0.44%)

-5.90(-0.44%)

-0.20(-1.17%)

-0.01(-0.71%)

Should Value Investors Pick Foot Locker (FL) Stock Now?

Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Foot Locker, Inc. FL stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, Foot Locker has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.41, as you can see in the chart below:

This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.29. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Foot Locker’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years. Moreover, the current level is fairly below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 17.22. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that Foot Locker has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 10.62, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Foot Locker stock in the near term too.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, Foot Locker has a P/S ratio of about 0.93. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.14 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, FL is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Foot Locker currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘A’, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Foot Locker a solid choice for value investors.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Foot Locker might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of ‘B’ and a Momentum score of ‘D’. This gives FL a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘A’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been disappointing. The current fiscal quarter has seen only one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to ten lower, while the fiscal full year estimate has seen one upward and eleven downward revisions in the same time period.

As a result, the current fiscal quarter consensus estimate has fallen by 10.5% in the past two months, while the fiscal full year estimate has decreased 4.4%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Foot Locker, Inc. Price and Consensus

Foot Locker, Inc. Price and Consensus | Foot Locker, Inc. Quote

This negative trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) despite strong value metrics and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Foot Locker is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (among the bottom 9%) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

So, value investors might want to wait for estimates, analyst sentiment and broader factors to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

Zacks' 2017 IPO Watch List

Before looking into the stocks mentioned above, you may want to get a head start on potential tech IPOs that are popping up on Zacks' radar. Imagine being in the first wave of investors to jump on a company with almost unlimited growth potential? This Special Report gives you the current scoop on 5 that may go public at any time.

One has driven from 0 to a $68 billion valuation in 8 years. Four others are a little less obvious but already show jaw-dropping growth. Download this IPO Watch List today for free >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report